Football clubs warned off politics

THE Cyprus Football Association (CFA) yesterday banned clubs from getting involved in politics and elections.

The CFA has also banned clubs from issuing any announcement in favour of candidates running for office in the Republic of Cyprus.

The association amended the rules allowing it to impose fines of at least €10,000 on clubs that go against the decisions.

The CFA urged clubs to avoid political assemblies with candidates in their clubhouses.

Politics and football are part and parcel of the Cyprus scene, and it is not uncommon for clubs, divided between left and right, to issue statements of support for candidates.

For instance, in the previous presidential elections in 2008, three football clubs — APOEL, Anorthosis, and Apollon – which traditionally associated with the right, publicly voiced their support for DISY candidate Ioannis Kasoulides.

Though political meddling in football was more acute in the Cold War years, it has fomented a fierce animosity between supporters, especially those of Nicosia archrivals Omonia and APOEL.

Omonia belongs on the other side of the political spectrum, its fan base made up of left-wing supporters who vote for AKEL – or AKEL-backed candidates.

And it is well known that Omonia’s leadership throughout the years had close links to AKEL.

APOEL supporters, who consider themselves more Greek than Cypriot, often refer to their Omonia counterparts as ‘Chinese’ or ‘Turks’ – because of their conciliatory approach towards reunification.

Omonia fans on the other hand, describe APOEL supporters as ‘fascists,’ and ‘traitors,’ mainly because they hold right-wingers responsible for the coup and subsequent Turkish invasion of the island.

APOEL’s public declaration of congratulations and support to Nicos Sampson, who took over as president after the July 15 coup overthrew Makarios, is often circulated on fan forums to prove just that.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.